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NEWLY QUALIFIED SOLICITOR LEANNE JOINS LANYON BOWDLER'S RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TEAM
A Shropshire law firm has welcomed a newlyqualified solicitor to its residential property team - a former trainee who "found her calling" helping people buy and sell their homes.
Leanne Jones joined Lanyon Bowdler two years ago and experienced three seats of training with the firm before qualifying as a solicitor in March.
Leanne graduated from the University of Chester in 2018 and completed her LPC LMM in 2019. She worked as a paralegal in a credit hire/personal injury firm before joining Lanyon Bowdler as a trainee in September 2022.
She said: "I have been training and studying for just over 10 years and still can't believe that I have been able to achieve this amazing milestone of becoming a solicitor, but I am very excited to continue and grow as a lawyer with the help of Lanyon Bowdler.
"I enjoyed being a trainee and experiencing three completely different seats - private client, family and residential. The seat changes exposed me to different areas of law and have further enabled me to work alongside, assist, and learn from various experienced lawyers across Lanyon Bowdler.
"The seats have pushed me outside of my comfort zone on many occasions, such as when I have needed to attend various court hearings in family law to assist clients and counsel.
"Working in private client law further enabled me to help and support clients who were very vulnerable and upset, when they instructed us to deal with the estate of family members who had passed away.
"Even though I enjoyed both of these seats, I found my calling in residential, which is the department I have qualified into, and I am looking forward to progressing my career and assisting future clients with purchasing and selling their homes.
"In previous roles, I also had the opportunity to train new starters and I enjoyed watching them develop and grow and build on their confidence with my support. In the future, I would love the chance to supervise trainees and play an important part in their trainee journey - helping them achieve their goals in the profession."
Praveen Chaudhari, partner and head of Lanyon Bowdler's residential property team, said: "Leanne has made an important contribution to Lanyon Bowdler since she joined us as a trainee two years ago.
"She has worked really hard, is always committed to the best interests of our clients and has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn and develop. We congratulate her on qualifying as a solicitor and wish her well for the future."
LANYON BOWDLER APPOINTS NEW DEBT RECOVERY MANAGER
A Shropshire law firm is highlighting the need for businesses to have proper procedures in place to help reduce bad debts and improve their cash flow.
Liam Holyhead, Lanyon Bowdler’s new debt recovery manager, said it was essential that firms safeguard their interests by performing their due diligence correctlyensuring they stay on top of their finances and keeping the business on track.
Prior to joining Lanyon Bowdler, Liam worked in housing and leasehold management, specialising in anti-social behaviour, service charge recovery and disrepair, and then debt recovery.
He said: “I am delighted to have joined Lanyon Bowdler and really enjoy my new role. It is always a great feeling when you’re able to achieve a good result for the client, especially when posed with a particularly difficult set of circumstances that involve some problem solving.
“With that in mind, I thoroughly enjoy working within a role that challenges me every day, and enables me to learn, grow and develop as a lawyer and a manager.
“The world has changed substantially since the Covid-19 Pandemic almost four years ago and it's evident that almost everyone has felt the crunch of the cost of living crisis and rising interest rates.
“In this climate, I would urge businesses to consider their credit control processes and whether they are performing correct due diligence procedures in order to help reduce bad debts and improve their cash flow.
“Having a robust credit control department can aid in mitigating risk to businesses as this greatly assists in getting payments in promptly on a more regular basis.
“My future plans for the department are centred on the development of our staff and ensuring we can continue to provide the best service to our clients. Personally, I am really looking forward to continuing my development with the firm.”
Brian Evans, Lanyon Bowdler managing partner, said: “We are delighted to welcome Liam to the firm - he has already made a significant contribution in the short time he has been here, and we wish him well in his future career with us.”
MAXIMUM EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL PAYOUTS INCREASED
A top employment law expert in Shropshire is highlighting changes to the way compensation is calculated in tribunal cases.
The changes come into effect on April 6 and will see the Government introduce an annual increase in compensation limits for employment tribunal awards and other statutory payments - meaning the prospect of additional costs for employers.
John Merry, senior partner at Lanyon Bowdler and head of the firm’s employment team, said the planned changes would mean the maximum compensatory award for ordinary unfair dismissal would increase from £105,707 to £115,115 and the limit on a week’s pay would rise from £643 to £700.
He said: “These are important changes and something that people should be aware of, but it is important to remember that the context of the maximum compensatory award is that the limit on these awards would actually be the lower of an amount equal to the employee’s basic annual salary and the stated maximum.
“The limit on weekly pay is applied in a number of contexts, including basic awards for unfair dismissal, statutory redundancy pay and awards of compensation that are made due to an employee not having been issued with written particulars of employment that comply with statutory minimum requirements.
“This means the maximum possible basic award or statutory redundancy payment will increase to £21,000, while statutory guaranteed pay, which applies when an employee is laid off or subjected to short-time working, will increase from £35 to £38 per day.
“The announced changes reflect inflation rates and will affect dismissals that occur on or after April 6 - meaning successful unfair dismissal claims could result in a greater cost for employers.”
If anyone has any questions or concerns or is looking for professional advice, they can contact the Lanyon Bowdler employment team on 0800 2945926 or email enquiries@lblaw.co.uk
INVESTMENT TO CUT WAITING TIMES FOR FAMILY LAW CASES WELCOMED
A £170 million cash injection into the justice system has been cautiously welcomed by a Shropshire legal expert.
Sue Hodgson, head of family law at Lanyon Bowdler, said the investment announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget was positive - but only if it was used in the right way.
During the Budget, Jeremy Hunt said, “too many legal cases, particularly in family law, should never go to court,” adding, “it would cost us less if they didn’t.”
The Government is pledging to invest £170 million into non courtbased legal resolution, digitising the court process and reducing re-offending. The investment will include £55 million earmarked
for family courts to shorten waiting times by offering more online guidance and earlier legal advice.
Sue Hodgson said: “I welcome any funding into a service which is currently in need of reform and it is good news that families going through the worst times will have resources for alternative dispute resolution.
“No-one wants to go to court, however I worry that there is always a place for court resolution particularly in cases of high conflict and where there are risks and welfare concerns for the child.
“It’s vital that the Government doesn’t lose sight of the overall need for justice whilst seeking much-needed efficiencies and cost savings.”
INSPIRATIONAL BRAIN INJURY CONFERENCE A MAJOR SUCCESS
An event in Shrewsbury to celebrate inspirational people who battled back from life-changing brain injuries has been declared a major success.
The Thriving After Brain Injury conference was hosted by Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors at Theatre Severn and attracted people from all over the country.
A range of speakers described their own experiences of living with a brain injury, while others outlined the latest technology aiding rehabilitation, and therapy techniques.
One of the headline speakers was Jack Rutter, who suffered a traumatic head injury after being attacked outside a nightclub and went on to captain the GB football team at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.
He explained to the audience how stepping out of his comfort zone enabled him to achieve great things, saying “the only disability in life is a bad attitude”.
Meanwhile, Shropshire-based neuropsychological rehabilitation specialist, Andrew Worthington, talked about how positive psychology could help people flourish after a brain injury, and other speakers outlined technology and therapy advances.
Beth Heath, head of clinical negligence at Lanyon Bowdler, hosted the conference and said it was an inspiring day.
“We were delighted with the turn-out, with almost every seat in the auditorium full, and people were fascinated with every speaker,” she said.
“We heard from Jack Rutter and Alex Danson, a former Olympic hockey player forced to retire due to a serious concussion injury, who had very different stories to tell but were equally as uplifting.
“The technical insight from speakers like Hannah Wright, of Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, who talked us through the rehabilitation challenges faced by patients, and Mike Gomm, of Steve Martin Associates, who described the very latest assistive technology which is helping people gain more independence, was superb.
“The feedback we have received from delegates has been fantastic, with people enjoying the blend of specialist knowledge and inspirational personal experiences.
“We would like to thank all of the speakers and event sponsors for their support, as well as everyone who took the time to be with us for the day.”
As well as raising awareness, the conference donated funds to the Hereford Adaptive Cycling Group and the Peeps charity, which supports people affected by a lack of oxygen to the brain during birth known as HIE (hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy).
Event sponsors were ARAG, Frenkel Topping Group and No5 Barristers Chambers.
NEW PARTNER ANNOUNCED AT SHROPSHIRE LAW FIRM
A Welsh-speaking clinical negligence specialist has become the latest partner at a law firm working with clients across Shropshire and North Wales.
Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors have offices in Shrewsbury, Telford, Hereford, Oswestry and Conwy, and the firm has kicked off the new year by welcoming Laura Weir as a new partner.
Laura joined Lanyon Bowdler's award-winning clinical negligence team in 2020, returning to her native Wales following a successful career in London.
She is a fluent Welsh speaker and her knowledge of the Welsh healthcare system is of great benefit to her clients when dealing with a range of legal claims.
Laura said: "I am delighted to have become a partner of the firm, and feel as passionate as ever about supporting people in claims arising from delays in, or failure to diagnose, refer or treat a range of serious conditions resulting in a significant injury.
"I have a particular interest in brain, spine and birth injury claims, as well as cases arising from the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
"Although based in Shrewsbury, I work closely with the team in Conwy and am always happy to help with any clients who prefer communicating in Welsh."
Brian Evans, managing partner of Lanyon Bowdler, said Laura's promotion was richly deserved. He added: "Laura has been an extremely valuable member of the team since she joined us in 2020, and we are delighted to welcome her as a new partner."
Please visit www.lblaw.co.uk for help with any legal queries.
LANYON BOWDLER SIGNS UP FOR SHROPSHIRE BUSINESS FESTIVAL
Visitors to Shropshire Business Festival will be able to raise legal queries with an expert as lawyers from an award-winning law firm attend the event this year.
Shropshire Business Festival takes place at Wrekin College in Wellington on April 11, and Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors will be there to give advice and deliver a seminar on clinical negligence claims.
The free-to-attend business festival is organised by Shropshire Festivals with hundreds of business leaders expected to attend, and follows on from a hugely successful event last year.
Amanda Jones, marketing director at Lanyon Bowdler, said the firm would be hosting a special 'Lawyers Lounge' at the event.
She said: "The festival is a big date on the calendar and we are delighted to be supporting it again this year.
"In the Lawyers Lounge we will have Edward Rees, Abi Croft and Liam Holyhead, the three of them will be there to chat with those starting a business, or business owners, about managing debts by having a strong credit control process in place and ensuring the right legal documents are in place, such as partnership agreements and business lasting powers of attorney.
"Visitors are able to just pop along and see one of the team on the day, or they can book appointments ahead of the event.
"The festival runs from noon until 7pm and there will be so much going on throughout the day. Subject areas include tourism and hospitality in Shropshire, business start-up, general business and networking.
"The Lanyon Bowdler team always enjoys the chance to meet people in an informal setting and if anyone would like to book an appointment in advance, they can get in touch by emailing us at info@lblaw.co.uk."
One of the seminars on the day will include a talk on medical negligence by a member of the Lanyon Bowdler team, and new at the festival this year will be the opportunity to enjoy business talks from Silent Seminars, who are sponsoring the concept at the event.
Visitors will be given headphones to tune in to a live business talk whilst on the move, maximising their time at the event.
For more about the festival, visit https://www. shropshirebusinessfestival.co.uk/ and for more about Lanyon Bowdler visit www.lblaw.co.uk
